


i took him out of the water

by minarchy



Category: X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Ancient Egypt, Bible, Gen, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-22
Updated: 2011-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-27 19:16:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/299153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minarchy/pseuds/minarchy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't," the prince said, his accent like cut-glass and gleaming amongst the slurs and drawls of the slaves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i took him out of the water

**Author's Note:**

> And she adopted him for a son, and called him Moses, saying: "Because I took him out of the water".  
>  _Exodus 2:10_

"What the fuck is he doing here?"

Erik looked up at Alex's announcement to see Raven hurrying back into the Israelite quarters, followed by a stranger. Or – not so much a stranger, Erik realised, recognising the dark-haired man with a sharp and piercing clarity.

"Well," he said, stopping work to lean on his shovel. The well was sinking into the mud that was piling up from the new irrigation canals being dug off the Nile, and the men were trying to clear the space around it and, with any luck, use the earth as an embankment against the rest of it. The guards never came this far into the slaves' town, so they were unlikely to be punished for it. "If it isn't the little princling." He bowed, mockingly. Alex was standing, fists clenched, glaring at the prince as if he could set him on fire with his mind.

The prince paused, clearly uncertain.

"Back off, Erik," Raven snapped. "He's not here to be a dick. Give him a chance to speak, won't you?"

"I'll give him a chance to speak," Alex snarled, moving forwards. The prince took a half-step backwards in response, and Erik bared his teeth in a facsimile of a grin. "When I've ripped him a second mouth three inches below his first."

"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't," the prince said, his accent like cut-glass and gleaming amongst the slurs and drawls of the slaves. "As, I'm sure, would Scott."

That stopped Alex in his tracks. Erik could see him physically vibrating with anger.

"Scott?" he said.

The prince nodded. "Hmm," he said. "Yes, he's a member of my house at the moment. Under my protection, you understand." Which implied, also, that he could have him executed at any point. "But I've already got far too many slaves; Pharaoh just keeps piling them on. It's all rather taxing, having to learn all their names and duties, so I was wondering if you might like him back."

"In exchange for what?" Erik stepped forward, as much to prevent Alex from blindly acquiesing than anything else. The prince's gaze snapped to his, eyes ever so blue in his royal-pale face.

"I wasn't going to ask for anything," the prince said, eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly.

"Don't be stupid," Erik snapped. "You think Pharaoh isn't going to notice that he's one house slave down? Fuck off."

The prince raised an eyebrow. "What would you suggest?" he asked. This threw Erik, because royalty didn't _ask_. They command.

"Someone needs to replace him," he said.

"Me," Alex interrupted, immediately. "I'll go. He's my brother."

Erik clipped him around the back of the head. "Idiot," he said. "You think Scott's going to be happy to find out that his brother's traded places with him?"

"Then I'll go," Raven said.

"No," the prince said. "No; there's a specific count of female slaves. There's not a chance that you wouldn't be noticed."

"Indeed," Erik said. "I'll go." He quashed their protests with a glare. "No. Arguments."

"Excellent," said the prince. "I'll arrange for Scott to be at the side entrance to the palace in one hour. Can you meet him?"

"The river entrance," Erik clarified, thinking about it. "Yes. One hour. I'll be there."

"Wonderful," said the prince. "Well, then. Delightful to meet you all."

 

Erik pushed the bewildered Scott into the water, towards Alex, with a hissed, "swim, fool," before pulling himself up onto the stone dock. The prince was standing just inside the doorway.

"Hello again," he said, smiling brightly. "I'm Charles, by the way."

"Erik." He stepped forwards into the room.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Erik," Charles said, and Erik was struck with the strange notion that he actually meant it.

**Author's Note:**

> on my [livejournal](http://bella-epoche.livejournal.com/16100.html)


End file.
